World News - part 6

Tiny fossils found in Western Australia represent life on earth in its earliest form

Fossilized bacteria from 3.4 billion years ago lived off sulfur, not oxygen

Confirming evidence of fossilized life now more complex with technology advances

Microscopic fossils found in Western Australia show life on earth in its most primitive form, according to a new report.

Close to three years ago, a research team from the University of Western Australia found fossils of tiny organisms in 3.4 billion-year-old sandstone in Strelley Pool in the dry Pilbara region, some 1,500 km north of Perth.

A modified form of the drug ecstasy could be helpful in fighting certain types of cancer, according to researchers at the University of Birmingham.

In 2006, researchers at the university discovered that ecstasy, an amphetamine derivative chemically known as MDMA, was capable of destroying some forms of cancer including leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma. In addition to the recreational drug, anti-depressants like Prozac and some weight-loss drugs were also found to have the potential to impede the spread of cancer.

US military successfully tests new substance five times more explosive than current materials

High-Density Reactive Material is a mix of metals and oxidizers that could replace steel casings in traditional missiles

While increasing explosive power, HRDM could also reduce collateral damage

The US Office of Naval Research successfully tested a new explosive substance that has five times the explosive power of materials available today. The revolutionary new High-Density Reactive Material (HDRM) is a mix of polymers and metals that is reported to have the density of mild steel but the strength of aluminum.

Traditional military projectiles, like missiles and shells, are built with a steel casing that houses explosive materials that explode on impact. The new method replaces the steel casing with HDRM, which combines with warhead explosives and only explodes once the target has been penetrated, explains Clifford Bedford, a scientist working for the Office of Naval Research (ONR) on the development of the new substance.

BlackBerry Messenger blamed for riot coordination, now being used to fix damage

RIM to help officials track down rioters

The riots devastating London have now spread to other cities in England, with local residents flocking to social media sites to share stories and discuss damage. Along with Facebook and Twitter, BlackBerry Messenger (BBM) is playing an important role in organizing clean-up efforts.

BBM, which allows encrypted messages to be passed to hundreds of users in just minutes, was first believed to have helped rioters secretly communicate on when and where to meet. The Guardian reported a BBM message was sent during the riot action, instructing: “Everyone in edmanton enfield wood green everywhere in north link up at enfield town station at 4 o clock sharp!!!”

Police shooting of Tottenham man triggers violent protests in London and other major cities

Rioters use BlackBerry messaging, Facebook and Twitter to organize offensive

Cost of repairs high in the tens of millions, damage to city reputation problematic for upcoming Olympic games

A 26-year-old man has suffered a fatal gunshot wound in Croydon, South London, marking the first death caused by the riots. Hundreds of others have been injured since the violence began a few days ago, with chaos tearing through the streets of London and now spreading to other major UK cities as youth continue rioting, looting and committing arson.

The unrest comes in backlash to the fatal police shooting of local man Marc Duggan in Tottenham in North London on August 4. A police squad, whose main focus is to investigate gun crime in the capital’s black communities, was following the 29-year-old father-of-three in the course of a planned arrest. It is alleged that Duggan was involved in an exchange of gunfire, but ballistic tests have raised questions as to whether or not Duggan shot at the police.

It has recently come to light that more than 70 organizations have been targeted in cyber attacks. Far from a new phenomenon, the attacks are estimated to have been carried out over the past half decade with some infiltrations lasting over two years.

Western companies were targeted for the most part along with the United Nations, the International Olympic Committee and high-profile government bodies in the US, Taiwan, South Korea and India.

The U.N. atomic watchdog confirmed last week after a visit that Japan was on track to take control of the Fukushima nuclear power plant hit by an earthquake and tsunami over four months ago.

The July target date of reducing radiation in the country has been met, but the natural disasters triggered meltdowns and radiation leaks that the government and Fukushima operator, Tokyo Electric Power, say will take over 10 years to stop.